A U.S. weather satellite has captured a stunning new view of the Earth as the seasons change.

At 7:45 ET, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-13 satellite captured this full disk image of Earth, just three minutes after the equinox.

It shows both hemispheres equally lit as the Earth is perfectly perpendicular to the Sun.

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At 7:02 ET on March 20, 2013, Earth was at its equinox. At 7:45 ET, the GOES-13 satellite captured this full disk image of Earth, giving a snapshot of the planet as spring sprung

WHAT IS THE EQUINOX

Equinoxes (which mark the onset of
spring and autumn) and solstices (which mark the beginnings of summer
and winter) are points in time and space that designate a transition in
the planet's annual trip around the sun.

The equinox occurs twice a year when the
relative angle of Earth is perpendicular to the Sun, causing equal
incoming solar energy to the Northern and Southern hemispheres - as well
as equal day and nighttime.

The equinox occurs twice a year when the
relative angle of Earth is perpendicular to the Sun, causing equal
incoming solar energy to the Northern and Southern hemispheres - as well
as equal day and nighttime.

After the equinox passed, the Northern Hemisphere will be more lit than the Southern Hemisphere – causing the seasons.

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'As spring wears on, the Northern
Hemisphere will receive more sun than the Southern Hemisphere, creating
the familiar seasons in each region (summer and winter, respectively).

The sun in the image is artificially created,
though the GOES spacecraft does have sensors continually monitoring the
Sun for solar activity.

The image gives a stunning view of the Earth as the season's change was created by a U.S.

In the higher latitudes of the Northern
Hemisphere, the time of 'equal day and night' occurs a few days before
the spring equinox, while in the Southern Hemisphere that date comes
after the March equinox, according to the National Weather Service.

The dawning of spring comes on different dates (from March 19-21) and different times each year as it takes the Earth about 365 and one-quarter days to orbit the sun (which is why we have a leap day every four years).

The Earth also circles the sun in a slightly non-elliptical orbit,which changes Earth's orientation to the sun from year to year.